It wasn’t like Nico was going to steal the damn trophy, but he was smart enough to know Cooper would not like him snooping around his shit. Like Cooper implied earlier, Nico was stubborn not stupid. He caressed the gold statue and it felt heavy. It felt even heavier when he picked it up, but uhhh…
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
One section of the shoes rotated sideways into the wall, exposing a narrow walkway.
“Cool,” Nico whispered to himself. “A secret passage.”
And without hesitation, he slipped into the shadows, holding the trophy in one hand.
Inside was another room. It was darker and there were no automatic lights.
In the center of the room was a large glass box with a football on display inside with dim yellow lights painting it in a soft glow. Nico stepped towards the box, but couldn’t decipher anything special about the ball other than the fact that it was a college ball.
There was a black leather couch on opposite sides of the room, perched across from each other. Nico took one step forward before noticing the photos framed on the left side of the wall. Portraits of Cooper and Luke Davies, his best friend and Stassi’s twin brother.
Public photos of the both of them taken at games, at events, and in locker rooms. But as Nico continued to search the room with his eyes, a chill fell over him.
A portrait of Luke kissing Cooper on the cheek.
A portrait of Luke kissing Cooper on the lips.
A portrait of Luke sitting on Cooper’s lap, with Cooper wearing a smile Nico had never seen before.
A painting of Luke nude, his soft cock hanging between his legs right next to a painting of Cooper in the same position.
A portrait of Luke lying in Cooper’s lap, sucking his cock.
A portrait of the two of them in bed, lying side-by-side and staring into each other’s eyes.
A portrait of Cooper and Luke facing the camera while Cooper fucked Luke from behind on the same bed Cooper had just fucked Nico.
And one final portrait, a close-up of their hands.
Tangled together, with rings engraved with diamonds on their ring fingers.
Nico’s heart sank, and it raced at the same time. Speeding towards needing to get the fuck out of that room, out of that place, out of that… shrine.
He took a step back, his feet sinking like he was stuck in quicksand.
Took another step back and ran into something.
Someone.
Nico dropped the trophy. It landed against the ground with a thud.
“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you,” Cooper said.
Nico cocked his head over his shoulder to see Cooper standing there, frozen and stoic.
“That’s a real threat, by the way,” Cooper continued with a silent inhale. “This is my life, my secret. Luke’s secret. Stassi’s secret.” Cooper couldn’t even make eye contactwith him, but he swallowed something silent. Rage? Sadness? “And now it’s your secret too. It will go to the grave with the four of us.”
Nico just nodded.
“Now,” Cooper gritted his teeth, “Get the fuck out of my house.”
Nico just nodded again, but this time he didn’t wait around for what came next.
He couldn’t get out of that house fast enough.
